Thurs.’s Devo - Leah’s First Four

Read: Genesis 28:1-29:35; Matthew 9:18-38; Psalm 11:1-7; Proverbs 3:11-12 Isaac sent Jacob to his wife’s family where Abraham was from to find a wife. He told him to marry one of Laban’s daughters which is exactly what he would do. Esau heard about what his father did and how he didn’t like the Hittite women so he married one of Ishmael’s daughters. On Jacob’s way to Laban’s house he stopped to spend the night in the wilderness. He found a stone for his pillow and step. He dreamed of a stairway that reached to heaven and saw angels of God going up and down the stairway. At the top stood the Lord. He introduced himself as the God of Abraham and Isaac. He told Jacob that the land he was lying on belonged to him and descendants. His descendants would be great and be a blessing to the whole earth. He took the rock he had used for a pillow and made an altar to the the Lord. The place he was in was called Luz which means “perverse” but he changed it to Bethel which means “house of God”. Jacob promised that if God would go with him and provide his needs and if he returned safely to his father’s house, then the Lord would be his God. The altar he made would stand as a place to worship God and Jacob would tithe to the Lord. Jacob continued traveling east till he came to a well where a few shepherds had gathered with their flocks. Jacob asked if any of them knew his uncle Laban and they did. They told him that his daughter was walking toward them. It was Rachel and when Jacob saw her, he removed the heavy stone from the well that usually took all the shepherds to remove. He watered all of Rachel’s sheep then kissed her and explained that he was her cousin, the son of Rebekah, Laban’s sister. Rachel ran to tell her father. Laban came and welcomed him and brought him to his house. He worked for Laban for a month when Laban asked him what he wanted for his pay. Jacob had fallen in love with Rachel so he offered to work for him for 7 years for Rachel. Laban agreed and Jacob worked for 7 years. After the 7 years Jacob asked for his wife. Laban threw a great feast but the night of the wedding, he gave Jacob Leah instead of Rachel. Jacob didn’t find out till the next morning when the sun came up and he could see. Jacob was outraged at Laban. Laban explained that in his culture, the oldest daughter had to marry first but if Jacob would finish his wedding week with Leah, he would give him Rachel if he would agree to work seven more years for him he would get Rachel also. Jacob agreed so he got both Leah and Rachel though he loved Rachel the most. Rachel and Leah each came with a servant: Zilpah and Bilhah. Rachel was barren but Leah was fertile and soon became pregnant. She had a son and named him Reuben which means “see a son”. She thought it would get Jacob’s affection for her. She had a second son and named him Simeon which means God hears. She believed that God heard her cry for love from her husband and blessed her with this son. Her third son was named Levi which means “attached”. Leah had hoped that this son would bind her husband’s heart to hers. Her fourth son was named Judah which means “praise”. Leah worked through her pain of rejection and finally was able to praise the Lord through it all. In Matthew, Jesus had just finished explaining about how you had to have new wineskins to be able to put the new wine God was pouring out during this time. Then a man came to him whose daughter had just died. He asked Jesus to bring her back to life. They would need those new wineskins to be able to believe Jesus could bring someone back to life. Before Jesus could go to see this young girl, a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years touched the hem of his shawl and was healed. Jesus went to the man’s house and told the mourners that the girl was just sleeping. They thought he was crazy till he raised her from the dead. Then, Jesus healed two blind men and told them not to tell. Instead they went out and told everyone. A demon-possessed many who was dumb was brought to Jesus who delivered and healed him. The Pharisees declared that his power did not come from God but from Satan. Jesus traveled through the area proclaiming the good news about the Kingdom of God. He told his disciples to pray for more workers in God’s fields. Lord, thank you for sending us as workers into your field. May we see the kingdom come to earth.